Lost and Found
by Aria6
Summary: Roxas was kidnapped as a baby and lost to his family and twin. Sora finds him in an unlikely place when they're both twelve, but what will this mean to Roxas and the family that has adopted him? What will it mean to Axel? Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

"_Let's play hide and seek! Count to ten!"_

"_Hehe, he won't find me here!"_

"…"

"_This is getting boring."_

"…_Roxas?"_

"_Roxas where are you? Roxy? ROXAS?!?"_

"_MAMA! PAPA!"_

* * *

"Hey, wake up sleepy head!" Roxas yawns and rolled over, trying to ignore the loud, annoying thing above him. "Up and at 'em! We have important visitors today."

"Fzghtz." Was his only reply until a pillow banged against his head. "Ow! Axel!" Roxas jerked out of his pleasant dreams to glare at his best friend and brother. The redhead was grinning down at him, pleased with the response he'd gotten.

They couldn't have looked more different. Axel was tall and gangling, going through an unfortunate growth spurt at the moment. Roxas was tiny and compact, two years younger than his friend. They were brothers by adoption but in no way blood relations, and Roxas was glad. Some of the feelings he held for Axel were anything but brotherly and the redhead was showing signs of reciprocating. Maybe it was a little sick but Roxas didn't think so. They hadn't met until he was six and Axel was eight.

"Stop woolgathering!" Roxas winced as he was prodded again and dutifully got out of bed, stripping and washing off his hair in a basin. Roxas caught Axel playfully leering at his buns and shoved the dirty water at his friend, almost slopping it over him. "Woah hey, my clothes!"

"Stop staring at my ass and throw that out." Roxas said sharply and Axel grinned, carrying the basin out and tossing it in the street. Sanitation was pretty rudimentary in this little town and there was no real plumbing to speak of. Fortunately there was a very good well and their elder brother went to fetch water every morning.

Most of the world had luxuries like indoor plumbing and electricity but for Roxas and his brothers those had always been passing conditions. For a brief while he'd lived in Baraba, the capital city of Altica and had gotten to experience those things. He'd also learned how to live in the nastiest streets and how to survive among gangs and other viciousness. He'd been glad when his mother had decided to take another rural placement. Plumbing that broke down half the time wasn't worth Axel and Reno having to beat up a gang member who thought he could rape Roxas in the school shower. Things could have gotten really ugly in a hurry if they hadn't heard the ruckus and come running. Roxas put that out of his mind as he put on his finest clothes. Usually reserved for church functions, they were dark brown pants and a creamy dress shirt with an embroidered vest. Axel's clothes were almost identical although his vest had a tiny white silk flower pinned to it. Roxas vaguely wondered where he'd gotten it then decided he didn't care. It looked a little silly really.

"Are you boys ready?" Their mother stepped into the room and Roxas met her soft green eyes and nodded with a smile. She was very beautiful with red hair the same shade as Axel's. Her face and body were beginning to show her age and there were a few grey hairs in that red mane, but only a few. Roxas knew that many of the boys their age in the village had the hots for his mom. "Good. They'll be here soon."

"Along with the camera crews." Axel grinned and Roxas laughed as their older brother stepped into the room. Reno was flamboyantly handsome with his red hair, blue eyes and wonderful body. Roxas thought he was a good view of how Axel would look when he finished growing.

"Don't be disrespectful lad." Their father admonished from the front room. He had thick, chocolate hair, eyes as blue as Reno's and a friendly, open smile. "Even if they are doing this mostly for the publicity it will benefit us."

"Yes dad." Reno said obediently then grimaced as his father began picking up the letters he'd written. They were thank you notes to their funders and Roxas knew Reno didn't like the way their father humbled himself writing them. But Roxas thought dad had a point that saying thank you would keep them in people's minds. Besides, it was just the decent thing to do.

The family left the small wooden house and began walking down the street to the helicopter pad. A nanny goat butted Roxas and tried to chew on his vest before he shood her away. The livestock was everywhere and not even an act of god could change that. Roxas vaguely wondered what the visitors would make of it and figured they would likely be appalled. Especially when they had to use the toilets.

The villagers parted respectfully for them as they walked up their place in the greeting area. Their mother was a respected Doctressa, as they called her here. She tended to the hurts of the villagers and often used minor healing magic and herbal potions to help them. A combination of doctor and herbal wise woman she was invaluable to the area. Their father was equally valuable in a different way, a very good teacher who helped the children realize their potential. Not many of them went on to the Universities, true, but most could read and write when he was done with them. And sometimes his father ignited a real fire in one of his students and they managed to go and learn more. His father treasured those moments. Roxas vaguely knew his parents had originally come from a rich land but it was hard to imagine. To him, this place was home.

The helicopter was coming in for a landing and Roxas shielded his eyes for a moment as it tossed up dust. Soon it was safely landed and people began to climb out. Roxas smiled for a moment as he saw their clothing. He hoped it was their idea of Sunday best because if it wasn't, they were more alien than he could imagine. The woman was wearing a gauzy outfit that was easily capturing the attention of all the adolescent boys although it really showed nothing. Her jewels would have invited theft in the slums, if anyone had thought they were real. Long brown hair fell in a wave behind her and she looked very young but Roxas thought she wasn't. Mostly because of the boy by her side who looked his age and had matching, chocolate hair in a spiky haircut. They also had the same blue eyes and Roxas was sure they were mother and son.

"He looks like you." Axel commented and Roxas blinked, looking at the brown haired boy. Yes, they did look a lot alike. That was odd. The man that got off the helicopter next only reinforced that. He had spiky blonde hair and blue eyes and looked even more like Roxas than the boy. Roxas frowned and shook his head. He knew who his real father was and there was just no way he could be related to them. It was just a coincidence. The man and boy were both wearing suits and Roxas felt sure this had to be their Sunday best. Surely even rich people wouldn't wear suits all the time!

They were here to make a gift of a donation to build a new school and medical centre for the region. Roxas was very happy with that. In addition to giving his parents more to work with it would make their village a hub for the area. That would mean more prosperity for the villagers, most of whom were his friends. Roxas watched as his mother and father stepped forward to greet the strangers.

"Greetings! I'm Raphael Sophoni and this is my wife, Doctor Lillian Sophoni. Welcome to Shaali." Roxas wasn't that interested and ignored the adults in favor of looking at the new boy. He was staring at Roxas, his lips slightly parted. They really did look a lot alike. Axel grinned at him and the boy cautiously walked over.

"Hi. I'm Sora. What's your name?" He was still looking at Roxas which was a little odd. People usually fixated on Axel and Reno first, they were just so striking. Roxas smiled and answered.

"I'm Roxas. These are my brothers Axel and Reno." Roxas blinked as Sora took a sharp breath and his eyes seemed to mist over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Then Sora glanced between him and the others. "You don't look much alike." Roxas sighed to himself. He got that all the time from people who were too nosy.

"I'm adopted." He said briefly and for some reason that made the other boy smile. This was a little weird. "Ow!" Roxas winced as Sora stumbled forward and grabbed his hair, yanking out a tiny bit of it. Sora immediately stepped back.

"I'm so sorry! I'm clumsy today." He apologized and Reno laughed.

"It's probably the flight. You'll feel better when the jet lag has worn off." Reno spoke from long experience. In the course of their career their parents had taken them all over the world. The only constant had been that the places they went to were poor. Sora smiled sheepishly and nodded as Roxas rubbed his head, then shrugged. The boy was clumsy but nice. It didn't really matter though. They'd only be staying a few days and then he would be gone.

So it proved. Sora's parents were both very nice and gracious but clearly a little uncomfortable with the sewage and washing arrangements. Axel, Roxas and Reno giggled about it to themselves but were careful to be respectful. They had a lot of fun with Sora, managing to get him out from under his parents watchful eyes so he could play with the goats. That was a bit hard and they were always accompanied by one of the camera crew. Not to photograph them but just to watch over Sora. Roxas wondered why they were so protective. Surely they didn't think anything could happen here! Well, accidents could happen anywhere he supposed.

Finally they bid goodbye to the little family and watched as the helicopter took off. Roxas had entirely forgotten about how Sora had pulled out a bit of his hair.

He had no idea that would change the rest of his life.

* * *

"Papa, please!" Sora tugged on his father's arm and heard him sigh.

"Sora, it's ridiculous. He can't be our Roxas, not after all this time." There was an ancient pain in his voice. Sora's twin, Roxas, had been kidnapped from them at age five. They'd expected and waited for a ransom note but nothing had ever arrived. The police had searched and searched very hard. Private detectives had tried their best. But it was as if Roxas had vanished from the face of the earth.

"We can at least get his hair tested, Kyle." His mother said softly. There was no hope in her eyes, only sad resignation. "Just to lay this to rest." She was sure Sora would pester them forever if they didn't. Sora had never given up hope that his beloved brother might be returned to them someday.

"Still ridiculous." His father muttered but Sora could tell he was weakening. "They're a very good family. I checked into them." Sora was sure he had. His father wanted to know who he was dealing with. "The thought that they would be involved with kidnappers is ludicrous!" Sora smiled as his parents squabbled a bit about the unlikliness of the Sophoni's being involved in the kidnapping. They were going to test the hair and that was all that mattered. Sora was sure he was right.

Soon he would have his brother back again.

* * *

"I can't believe it." Sora and his mother looked up as his father entered the kitchen. His mother enjoyed cooking and was preparing supper for them while Sora helped. Sora blinked as he saw his father was carrying a sheaf of papers and his face was very pale. "You were right Sora."

"Right about what?" His mother said, confused as Sora's heart leapt.

"Roxas! He is Roxas! I told you!" His mother went very pale and stared at the papers.

"…Oh my god. What do we do?" She asked her husband and he hesitated. Sora blinked at them both. Wasn't the answer obvious? They should go get Roxas!

"I don't know Zabel. We'll have to go talk to them." Sora was feeling quite bewildered now and had to speak up.

"What do you mean? We should go get him!" His parents exchanged a glance and Sora felt extremely frustrated. "What?"

"Sora, sweety, it isn't that simple." His mother said as gently as she could, giving him a hug. "It's very unlikely that family kidnapped him themselves. Actually, it's impossible. They were living in Ybara at the time, we checked." Sora blinked. That was a poor nation but not really too far from the Destiny Islands. Ships travelled from there all the time. "After your suspicions we had someone check the records and they've never visited the Islands. It's more likely they adopted Roxas in good faith that he was really an orphaned child. I don't know how that happened but I can't see any other possibility."

"Which means we can't just rip him away." His father said heavily as Sora stared at him, feeling oddly betrayed. "They could make a good case that he's their son, legally speaking. We need to talk to them. We need to see what Roxas wants."

"…Oh." Sora hadn't thought of the legal aspects. It hadn't really occurred to him that Roxas might have a life and be happy with it. He bit his lip and smothered a flare of resentment towards the family that had adopted him. It wasn't their fault. "Okay. Can we head out right away?"

"Yes. I've been making the arrangements. Go pack, we're leaving in two hours." His mother hastily took the food off the stove and Sora bolted out to get his clothes together.

He couldn't wait to see his brother again.

* * *

Roxas and Axel were helping their mother treat a cow. Roxas was vague on exactly what she was doing but he knew that his part in it involved being the muscle. Treating large animals sometimes required a lot of muscle.

"Doctressa!" Roxas grinned as their mom cursed like a sailor before looking up from what she was doing to the cow. The cow, an old milk cow, mooed pitifully. "The helicopter people are back! They say they are here to see you!" She blinked and reached up, almost smearing blood across her face before remembering the gloves on her hands. Grimacing, she looked back at the cow.

"Tell them to wait. No, take them to Raphael. Tell them I'll be there as soon as I'm done." Growling imprecations she plunged back into her work on the cow as Axel and Roxas held her steady. Finally she was done and began suturing the incision. When everything was closed and disinfected she stripped off her gloves and dumped them in a pail. "Okay. Let's go." Roxas hung up his smock and looked down at his clothes dubiously. They were his usual wear, tattered jeans and a ragged, slightly dirty t-shirt. Axel was even worse since his pants were too short, thanks to is growth spurt. His mother caught the direction of his gaze and smiled. "Don't worry Roxas. They didn't give us any warning so they can take us as we are." Her smile faded as they walked out of the clinic. "I wonder why they're back?" She sounded worried and Roxas didn't blame her. This was very unusual.

It was after lessons and Raphael had been helping some of the farmers put up a fence. Now he was entertaining their guests and Roxas was relieved to see they were in far more normal garb. But then, jeans were well nigh universal. The boy with brown hair waved at him with a smile and Roxas moved closer to Axel uneasily. The two adults were staring at him now and Raphael wasn't looking very happy.

"Lillian, maybe we should take this to the house." Raphael took her hand and she frowned before nodding. She could tell the villagers were all listening. Not surprising, this made excellent gossip. They walked over to the house and while there was no camera crew this time there were a few men along that Roxas figured had to be bodyguards. But then, they were rich and this was a poor country.

"We're here for our son." The man said abruptly as his mother shut the front door. He pulled out a sheaf of papers and handed them to her as she looked at him, baffled. "We had a son named Roxas. He was kidnapped when he was five and no sign of him was ever found. Sora took a bit of his hair when we were here… those are the results of the DNA tests. This is our son." Roxas stared at him, shocked, as Axel put his arms around him protectively.

"You have to be joking!" His father said as the Doctressa leafed through the documents, frowning. "We adopted him from a woman in Ybara. She said his father was a common laborer by the name of Sanda Roman." Roxas swallowed hard and tried to remember these people. The brown haired woman was looking at him hopefully but he couldn't remember her at all. Could this be real?

"Raphael, these tests appear to be accurate." Lillian said, troubled and glanced around. "Let's go to the kitchen and… have some tea." That was her cure for the ills of the world. The homely tasks of brewing tea helped settle her nerves as her husband looked through the papers. He wasn't a doctor and he didn't really understand them but it was something to do.

"Hi." Roxas blinked, pulled out of his shock but the soft voice. Sora. The boy was smiling at him shyly. "I knew when I saw you that you were my brother." Axel was still holding him protectively and Roxas hesitated before pulling away and giving the redhead a comforting pat.

"S'okay Axel." He muttered to his friend who looked highly dubious before turning to Sora. "Hi. I, uh, I can't remember you." He wished he could. Sora seemed to be really nice. The other boy smiled bravely.

"I know. It's okay, I wouldn't remember you either but we kept pictures. See?" Sora pulled out his datapad, something Roxas had only seen a few of in his life and scrolled through pictures. Roxas blinked as the other boy showed him a picture of two children, one with blonde hair and the other brunette, having a bath. They looked to be perhaps three.

"Oh wow. That really is you." Axel said but he sounded worried. Roxas bit his lip and nodded. This was getting more believable by the minute.

"But how could this have happened?" Sora's mother, Zabel, asked as Lillian served them all tea. Doctressa Lillian sighed and took a seat before answering.

"I think I know." She sounded reluctant but gamely went on. "We adopted Roxas from Sanda's mother, a woman by the name of Kia. She was old and living very precariously so she didn't feel that she could look after her 'grandson'. I didn't want to say this when I thought he was Roxas' father, but Sanda was a very unstable man. He was always looking for get rich quick schemes and sleeping with many women, according to his mother." And it was pretty bad when your own mother described you that way. "He was always travelling. It's conceivable he passed through the Destiny Islands."

"You think he put the boy with his mother and told her Roxas was his." Sora's father filled in. "But why didn't we receive a ransom?"

"Because Sanda stepped in front of a bus when he was drunk." Lillian said simply and everyone winced. "He must have kept his own counsel and Ybara didn't have much in the way of crystal sets back then. We adopted Roxas then left for Vitra, a small village up near Northsand. We never even heard of the kidnapping and even if we had, we wouldn't have seen pictures." Without some kind of image they would never have connected their Roxas with the kidnapped one. It wasn't a super uncommon name.

"This is a nightmare." Raphael muttered, adequately expressing Roxas' feelings. "What should we do?" There was a brief silence around the table before Kyle cleared his throat.

"He is our boy. We'll give him a very good life in the Destiny Islands with a better education than you could manage here." Raphael gave him the stink eye and Kyle spoke hastily. "Not meaning any disrespect."

"We are giving the boys an excellent education." Raphael said a bit grumpily. "Reno's been accepted to the Midrealm University for next year." That was a highly prestigious University. Kyle and Zabel both looked at the oldest boy in surprise and Reno shrugged modestly. "I make certain they're fully schooled and take the standardized tests." Not everyone could have handled that but Raphael was a truly amazing teacher. Axel liked to joke that he could make the habits of earthworms interesting.

"We could sue for custody." Zabel said and Roxas winced, curling up against Axel. Axel put an arm around his shoulders. Roxas was only twelve. That might be old enough to pick where he wanted to live but it wasn't at all certain.

"And we could fight it." Lillian returned, a hard note in our voice. "I appreciate your loss but he's been our son since he was six. We love him and we can't just let him go."

"Lillian." Raphael cautioned. He was grimly aware of how ugly a protracted lawsuit could become. Sora's family would have the edge in money but they would have an edge in the lack of treaties between the two countries. It would still be a legal mess and Roxas would be caught in the middle of it. "Roxas, what do you want?" Roxas started as the attention suddenly shifted to him.

"I – I don't know." He was intrigued by the thought of his real family. They were rich and had the kind of life he wasn't sure he wanted but had sometimes tried to imagine. And he could feel a bond to Sora already. But… "I can't leave Axel." He was deeply bonded to his brother. Reno was too old to be close to either of them, five years older than Axel and seven years older than him. But the two year difference between him and Axel had been nothing.

"Perhaps Axel could come too." Kyle said slowly as Lillian and Raphael exchanged a glance. Axel looked surprised then grinned.

"Hey, that would be neat! It would be like when we went to live with Aunty Rana for a while. Could we maybe go for six months or something?" He suggested brashly and the adults all looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps. We'll have to discuss it." Axel's father said oppressively but Axel and Roxas both had a feeling they would go for that option. Although only after a very long discussion and probably a legal contract being drawn up.

"If they both go does that mean I'd have a room to myself?" Reno remarked to the air and winced as Lillian pointed at him.

"You just volunteered to take the couch. Sora can have your bed." Reno started to protest then thought better of it. "All of you, go. We have things to discuss." The adults had a lot of things to hammer out and the children didn't need to see all of it.

This was a horrible situation but they would just have to make the best of it.


	2. Arrival and Fun in the Pool

Author's Note: In case you're wondering about the meat spin Axel mentions, google it. But don't bill me for the brain bleach you'll need. XD

"So what do you think?" Sora asked eagerly as they stepped off the plane. Axel laughed as Roxas shook his head with a smile.

"We just got here Sora!" They were in the airport for the Destiny Islands. They'd taken the helicopter to Sabuci, the nearest airport then taken a private charter back to the Destiny Islands. Axel and Roxas had both been impressed. It took a lot of money for a charter like that. "Although… it reminds me a little of Jabu." That was a very remote tropical island. Axel nodded.

"Lots of humidity. I like it." He suffered from chronic dry skin in arid conditions. "Although I'm missing mom and dad already." Axel added in an undertone and Roxas gave him a quick hug. He felt the same. Lillian and Raphael had been great parents. Sora's parents didn't seem quite as good, but not many were. Roxas thought they were nice enough and Sora was a happy little chipmunk so they had to be doing something right.

_My parents._ Roxas reminded himself but it was hard for him to think of them that way. He'd just met them and he didn't really know them. Still, he wanted to and he was going to have time for it. They'd finally drawn up a contract for him to stay here for six months, then return to his adoptive family. Unless Roxas requested otherwise but he doubted that was going to happen.

"Pretty!" Axel said appreciatively as they saw the car waiting for them. Roxas gaped a little at the shining black limousine. "Reno would give his left nut to own a car like that." Roxas laughed. It was true, Reno was a freak for cars.

"And his right nut for a Porsche. Kids? Who needs kids?" Roxas climbed in and Axel quickly followed. "Ow WOW, it has a TV?" Roxas admired it as Axel leaned back, enjoying the leather seats. Sora laughed at their enthusiasm as his parents smiled. The chauffer started the car smoothly and they were on their way.

"…Roxas. It's got a liquor cabinet." Axel said in a stage whisper and Roxas smacked him upside the head as everyone laughed.

"With a combination lock." Kyle mentioned with a smile and Axel sighed sadly.

"Damn. Oh well. Ooo, Roxas look!" Axel was peering out the windows now and Roxas joined him, just as impressed.

The city was definitely worth a second look. Beautiful and full of towering buildings, there were huge parks and nary a goat to be seen. Not any unleashed animals at all in fact. The whole city was amazingly clean to Axel and Roxas, both of whom were used to wandering feral cats and dogs even in the cities they had seen. It also had a much higher level of technology. Axel tilted his head as he tried to get a better glimpse of a monorail. He'd only seen pictures of the bullet trains until this instant.

"You've never seen a city before?" Zabel asked, clearly trying to draw the boys out. Axel let Roxas reply, too busy sight-seeing to pay attention.

"Oh, we have." Roxas said truthfully. "We lived in Baraba for a while. It was okay, kind of. Nothing like this though… well, not where we lived anyway. We were pretty close to the worst part of town."

"Why?" Sora asked innocently. "Your mom's a doctor and your dad's a teacher?" To him those were not low paying professions. Axel looked away from the window with a grin.

"They've sold their souls to the company store!" Sora blinked in confusion as Kyle laughed softly then explained.

"Their parents are dedicated to the All Saint's Charity missions, Sora. They were probably in Baraba to teach and give medicine to the people who could least afford it." Kyle gently reminded his son and Sora blushed. Axel nodded as Roxas took his turn peering outside the window.

"Right, and transit sucks in Baraba. We needed to live pretty close to the clinic. It was okay mostly, the cops were pretty good about gathering illegal guns so the gangs mostly used knives. Not so hard on the bystanders." Sora gave Axel a startled glance, wondering if the older boy was serious and quickly saw that he was. Kyle and Zabel both looked a little daunted as well. They'd known Roxas had been raised in a disadvantaged background but it was difficult for them to imagine a life like that.

"Do you have any pets?" Roxas asked suddenly. His dream in life had been to eventually become a veterinarian or maybe a Doctor like his mother. Although that title in the places he'd lived generally encompassed veterinarian too. Or vice versa. It was pretty entertaining, seeing a genuine vet trying to treat a pregnant woman. In an 'oh dear' sort of way. But no matter what, he wanted pets.

"Oh, we definitely do." Roxas smiled as he heard the pleased tone in Zabel's voice. "Four cats and two dogs. I'm sure you'll love them."

"You'll love the city too." Sora jumped in. "We've got the most amazing ice cream parlor…" Axel and Roxas listened as Sora detailed all the interesting places they could go see. Then he mentioned something a little alarming. "And you can come to school with me!"

"School?" That was a worry. Axel and Roxas exchanged a glance and Axel took the younger boy's hand. "Will we be in the same classes?" Axel was slightly ahead of Roxas, but only slightly. His father gave him extra work since he was the elder but there was really no set age they had to be done their schooling. Reno wasn't going to Uni until he was twenty. Their father felt that the extra time would give him an edge and his entrance scores seemed to agree.

"I shouldn't think so." Zabel sounded surprised at the thought. "Although you'll both have to be tested to see what grade you fall into." Axel frowned at that and glanced at Roxas. They'd been separated in Baraba too and neither one of them had liked it, although they'd gotten used to it. Roxas looked unhappy but nodded, squeezing Axel's hand.

"We can do it again." He told his brother and Axel sighed.

"I guess." He sounded about as enthusiastic as a young girl confronting a dead rat. "So I was wondering. Where's the money come from here?" He found it a bit puzzling. This place was a lot like Jabu, climate wise, but clearly they had some kind of product that was in demand. His father had always pointed out that a country needed a basis for prosperity and showed him what the nations they were living in were trying to do to get there.

"Guano!" Axel and Roxas both blinked at Sora who grinned brightly.

"…Guano?" Axel said uncertainly and Sora nodded. "Like, bat poop?"

"Yep! We mine it from the caves. The hard part is trying not to disturb the bats. If you mine at night when they're out flying it's not as bad. And we've even built some artificial roosts for them… it's kinda hard to describe. The whole thing's a bit hard on the caves but what can you do?"

"But who BUYS that? And for what – oh! Fertilizer?" Axel suddenly realized what it had to be for and Sora nodded.

"Exactly! Bat guano is really rich in phosphorous and nitrogen. That's not all though, we also have an offshore drilling operation that's bringing up lots of oil." Axel and Roxas both nodded. That was a natural resource they were more familiar with. As long as it was managed intelligently oil could bring massive prosperity to a region.

"We're trying to diversify, of course." Kyle interjected. "There are manufacturing plants here specializing in high tech and also computer programming firms. We're still in the process of trying to attract more, and of course our tourism industry is well developed." Roxas laughed at that.

"I can bet!" This place was a tropical paradise in addition to having great cities to play in. Perfect for a vacation. By now they were in what Roxas thought had to be the best part of town. Axel joined him again in peering out the window and they were both agog at the gates and mansions set on very large properties. Some were big enough that it was hard to see the mansions from the road but most were set much closer than that. They finally pulled into a beautiful example of modern architecture. It was very white, a little funky in design and full of windows. There was a wildflower garden in the front yard and butterflies were busily visiting it.

"What do you think?" Sora asked brightly. He really wanted his brother to approve of his home. And Axel too, although that didn't matter as much.

"Indoor plumbing will be nice." Roxas said with a smile. "So will reliable electricity." Axel nodded feelingly.

"Studying by candlelight is hard! I really like your garden." Axel admired the wildflowers and the insects for a moment. This was the kind of garden he liked, one that was fairly true to nature and gave back a bit. Soon they were exploring the house and Axel and Roxas both got settled into separate rooms. That was a bit odd for them, they'd usually shared a room before, often with Reno too. But it was nice. They were close but the lack of room in the mornings had always been a bit of a trial. Soon they had their clothes packed away and Sora was dragging them out to see the pool. It was a huge, beautiful pool and Roxas admired it with his newfound brother.

"It's great. I wish I had some swim trunks." He hadn't thought to pack that.

"COWABUNGA!" Roxas flinched and Sora stared as Axel ran right past them to leap in. Then Roxas laughed and followed, jumping in after him. Why shouldn't they swim in their clothes?

"Roxas! Axel!" Sora was appalled for a moment, then yelped as Axel and Roxas both leapt back out of the pool and dragged him in. "Heeeey!"

"Come on Sora, have fun." Axel jollied the brunette along and Sora managed to kick off his shoes before he jumped in. "Great!" Soon all three of them were laughing and playing in the water. Axel quickly found some water toys, including a huge beach ball and they began playing with those as well.

"What is all that noise?" Zabel peered out of the sliding doors and smiled as she saw the children at play.

She thought it was a good omen.

* * *

_Hi Mom! Hi Dad!_

_I know it will take you forever to get this what with the way the postal service goes… Sora thought it was nuts when I told him it was a guy on a horse. Hehe. Well, we're having a great time here so far! I've been put a grade ahead of Roxas and he's a grade over Sora, which is kind of weird if you think about it. But this is where we belong according to the tests. I guess dad's teaching wins huh? Roxas is already making friends with a couple guys named Hayner and Pence and a girl named Olette. They seem nice but I don't have much to do with 'em being in a higher grade and all._

_The school is really different than anything we've ever seen. It's so clean! And the computers are state of the art. Remember those computers in Baraba dad? Man, how many viruses did they have? I swear it was like a virus orgy, they were independently reproducing. But the kids aren't really that different. I left my computer for a minute and ended up with the meat spin on it. You know the one. Good to know some things never change huh?_

_It kind of sucks how we're broken up though. Sora's in the right class for his age and he's got a really close buddy named Riku. I like him. He's not nearly as rich as Sora and he's got a good sense of humor. I've made a few friends in the older class… a guy named Demyx and a girl named Larxene. They're both pretty fun to be around although Larx is a bit weird. But hey, it takes all kinds. How are the villagers doing? What's Reno up to? We're both really missing you. Roxas will be sending his own letter._

_Hugs and kisses,_

_Axel_

* * *

"Mmmmm, smoked oysters." Axel carefully drained out the oil and put the oysters out onto a paper napkin. "Yum!"

"Yuck." Sora replied as he watched Axel prepare his snack. He'd opted for an apple. "How can you eat those?" His parents liked them but Sora couldn't see the charms of something that was both fishy and oily. Axel grinned, popping one in his mouth.

"These were a delicacy in the village." Sora just shook his head, eating his apple. "So where's Roxas?"

"Out with his friends." Sora looked a little morose and Axel frowned. Roxas was out with his friends a lot. Not that Axel begrudged him that, it was great that the blonde was making friends and fitting in. But couldn't he take Sora at least?

"We need to pin his feet to the floor soon." Axel mused. "Hey, why don't we all three put something together? Like, um…" Axel pulled a blank for a moment. "I dunno. Damn. Any ideas?" Sora paused his chewing to think about it.

"We could go paint balling." He offered. "Or glow bowling."

"Oh yes!" Sora blinked at Axel's sudden enthusiasm. "We did that once in Baraba. That was fun as heck and we were, hmm, eight and ten? That'd be great. Let's do that."

"Okay!" Sora smiled. Axel's enthusiasm was infectious. Then Axel blinked, looking down at the little dog pawing on his leg. She was a shih-tzu, but not show class and wearing a puppy cut. She had her lower teeth sticking out over her lip which made her look like she was pouting.

"Aw hi Kimi. Want an oyster?" Axel offered it to her and she took it… before promptly spitting it out onto the floor. "Hey!"

"I told you." Sora said with a grin as Axel picked up the offending oyster and tossed it. "No one likes those but you."

"And your parents, probably. I've heard they get the libido going." Sora choked on his apple and slapped Axel on the shoulder. The redhead just grinned and picked up a dog toy, tossing it across the room. The little tawny dog ran after it and another tore out from under the couch to join in. A Persian cat gave the commotion a disgusted look and casually padded away. A different cat, black and thin, decided to perch on a chair and stare at the dogs. Pretty soon the shih-tzu's noticed and started rumbling at her before beginning real barking. "Ugh. Let's go outside." When the dogs and cats decided to pester each other it could get a little noisy. Fortunately the neighbors were all more than far enough away so they'd hear nothing.

"Sure." Sora and Axel both went outside to enjoy the day and swim in the pool. "I really like you Axel." Sora suddenly said as Axel tried to climb onto a floating beach ball. Axel blinked, a bit surprised.

"I like you too Sora." Axel said with a smile but wondered. What exactly did Sora mean by that? Just a friend? Or more? The brunette was very cute and if he didn't have Roxas in his heart Axel thought they could have had something… and if they didn't live in completely different worlds most of the time. Sora seemed a bit embarrassed by his comment and ducked under the water for a moment before surfacing in a gout of water.

"Come on, race you to the other end!" Sora took off swimming and Axel laughed and followed. It wasn't really important. Even if Roxas decided to stay longer, Axel's parents certainly weren't going to let him stay past six months.

He'd just enjoy this while he was there.


	3. Fun with Food

Roxas grinned to himself as he followed his friends onto the monorail.

He was loving his new school. At first he'd hated being separated from both Axel and Sora. But he'd quickly made friends with some amazingly cool kids. It was nothing like the time he'd spent in Baraba. Actually, it reminded him a little of the year the three of them had needed to go to a boarding school when civil war broke out in their parents posting. That had been a really good boarding school.

"Roxas! Come on, stop woolgathering." Hayner poked him in the shoulder and Roxas blinked before matching the other boy's smile. "So would that be okay with you? Going to see Pence on Friday?"

"Of course!" Roxas said without thought. Pence was in the hospital. He'd managed to find the only poison ivy patch on a field trip and proved to be violently allergic to it. He was puffing up like an angry hedgehog when the school had rushed him to the hospital. He was going to be fine and taking about a dozen pills a day to take care of it, but the hospital wanted to keep him a week just in case. Then Roxas suddenly remember. He was supposed to be going to supper with his family then glow bowling that night.

But they would understand. It wasn't like he was going out to have fun, he was going to visit the hospital. Then Olette smiled at him and they began chatting about school and how much Pence hated the hospital.

Axel didn't cross his mind at all.

* * *

"Good food!" Axel was highly enjoying his time at the oyster bar. He'd have enjoyed it a lot more if Roxas had been there, but c'est la vie. How could you protest him going to visit a sick friend? It was only a decent thing to do. "Mmm." Axel slurped down another oyster and grinned as Sora laughed at him. "Hey, what are you laughing at?"

"You! You look so funny when you do that." Sora giggled and Axel laughed. Sora's parents watched them both with gentle smiles. Zabel, Sora's mother, quietly reflected on the ironies of life.

They'd brought Roxas and Axel here so Roxas and Sora could bond and hopefully, Roxas would want to stay. It hadn't quite worked out that way. They were only a month into the six month stay so things could change, but at the moment Roxas was having too much fun with his new friends to spend time with his twin. Or rather, little brother. It was a true pity the school had insisted on putting them into different grades. Roxas' new friends knew Sora as a nuisance and didn't want him around.

Axel was entirely different. While he had made friends, he hung out with them after school only a few times a week and they were willing to put up with Sora and Riku. In fact, they were all quickly becoming friends with Demyx. Larxene was more prickly but she had a younger sister who often came along so she wasn't about to complain about Axel's tagalongs.

"So how are you both doing in school?" Kyle asked as Sora ate some shrimp. He swallowed quickly as Axel answered.

"I don't know about Sora but I'm doing great! The internet is so fast here." Axel had been used to dial-up, mostly. Sometimes satellite but that was usually meant for his parents to access medical articles and teaching resources. "Sure makes doing research easy." Axel approved of that whole heartedly. "I'm already done my project." It wasn't due for another two weeks but Axel liked getting his work done early. That gave him more time to play with the goats. Or in this case, the dogs. Sora made a face at him.

"I haven't even started mine." It was a different project, of course, but they were due around the same time. Axel grinned at him.

"Better get off your duff, huh?" Sora mock growled at him and Axel laughed. That made him look so cute. "If you want I'll help."

"Would you? I don't even know where to start." Sora sounded wistful and Axel smiled before ruffling his hair. "Hey!" Sora pouted and Axel noticed again just how cute he was.

"Sure thing." Axel said amiably. It was a bit odd considering his advantaged background, but Sora wasn't nearly as good a student as him or Roxas. But then, he could look forward to inheriting the family properties where Axel and his brothers had always known they would need to work hard for scholarships. Although Axel wouldn't have been surprised if that thought had never crossed Sora's mind at all. He was a bit of an airhead really. "What's the project about anyway?" Axel was vague on that.

"Taorist customs." Sora said mournfully. "The internet doesn't make sense! I'm going to have to go to the library." Axel paused, blinking.

"What, really? I've lived there." Sora gaped at him as his parents exchanged a surprised look. "I can probably tell you a lot about it… heh, we could even record a video if you want." Axel could think of a few things right off the top of his head that he could do for a video. He knew how to make luck charms the proper way, just for starters. They even worked although the magic was quite weak. "Let me guess, the internet is giving you contradictory info?" At Sora's nod Axel laughed. "That's because Tao is too big! There's a dozen regions and they have different customs. Your teacher really ought to have narrowed it down a bit, to like just the Northsand or the Demon River. Why don't we focus on Northsand? Those are the customs I know best."

"Sure! Do they really eat dogs there?" Sora asked in a hushed tone and Axel winced.

"Yes." He said reluctantly. "And horses too, when they break down. The only thing they won't eat are frogs. They believe they're the spirits of the dead."

"Tell me more!" Sora listened intently as Axel told him all about what it was like to live in Tao. Zabel and Kyle both listened and talked to each other about a bit about adult concerns that would have bored the boys. When the meal was over they went glow bowling and Sora mentioned something a bit surprising.

"You know, Axel, I kind of envy you." Sora said wistfully. Axel blinked at him, surprised.

"Envy me? Why?" He had trouble imagining that. Sora lived in a mansion and had almost anything he could want. Why would he envy a ragged wandering child? Sora blushed faintly as he smiled.

"You've seen so much. I've gone to a few places on vacations but… it was all very touristy, if you know what I mean. And there was always bodyguards." Sora sounded sad but accepting. "I know they have to be there but it makes things hard." Axel winced and nodded. Sora's parents tried not to be paranoid despite Roxas kidnapping, but there was no way they'd let Sora go around in a foreign country without a bodyguard.

"I see what you mean." Axel shook his head. "Even when you're adult, there's a lot of places you really shouldn't go. Too tempting a target for ransom." It was sad but just the truth. Sora nodded, disappointed. "But hey, I could show you around Tao! Not up near Northsand but my parents took a vacation in Riah one time. Sure, your bodyguards would have to come with you but we could still have a spiffy time." Sora lit up at that.

"Really? Maybe we could do that this summer." He glanced at his parents. "Do you think so?" Sora's father laughed, shaking his head.

"Let's worry about that when it's somewhere near summer, Sora." He privately didn't think it would happen but who knew? They didn't really have anything planned at the moment and he and Zabel both had great flexibility. "If we went, what would we do there?" He asked idly as he took his turn throwing a ball. Axel thought about it a moment then grinned.

"Go see the meditation gardens! Or maybe we could go on a river cruise down the Demon River. Those are perfectly safe." Sora looked enchanted at the thought and Zabel looked suddenly thoughtful. She loved boats and the family owned a private yacht.

"We'll have to think about it. Maybe not this year, but there's always next year." She said before taking her turn. "Ha! Strike."

"Nice! My turn." Axel took his turn and really wished Roxas was there. Glow bowling was tremendously fun and it had been so long since they'd done it.

But they were going to be here for six months. Roxas could always come next time.

* * *

"Eee!"

"Stop squealing you silly!" Riku admonished Sora with fond exasperation as Axel grinned. He was carefully folding together a Tao luck charm and carefully writing the magical signs on each piece of it. Riku was holding the camera and catching the process.

"But they're so cute!" Sora was beaming and playing with Axel's luck charms. They were folded into the shapes of animals. Which animal depended on the charm cast, and the colors also had meanings. Axel was explaining it to the camera as he made each one, although Sora wasn't helping.

"Chee Sora, maybe I should just go in and give a real demonstration. Hey, maybe we could get the whole class doing it." Axel didn't think they'd be any good at it but they would certainly have a ton of fun. He was sure it would get Sora good marks.

"Wow, could you? That would be great!" Sora said happily as he made the little crane waggle its wings. Axel thought that was a rather disrespectful way to treat a return home safely charm but decided not to mention it.

"Yeah, I'd have to check with my teachers though… okay! Now we're starting a charm for protection against the restless dead. It's in the shape of a cat since cats are the guardians to the underworld." Axel began folding the paper, following the patterns he'd learned by heart. He'd really enjoyed this when he lived in Tao and kept making them even when they left. The charms really did work although that could sometimes be a little alarming. He'd woken his parents one time when he was smaller screaming, and they'd come into his room to find all his cat charms had burnt to shreds. They'd quickly made more and laid wards on the children's room for weeks after. What had it been? No one knew, but the consensus was that weak as they were, the charms had served their purpose and scared it off. Axel grinned as he realized that would probably be a good story for the camera. "These suckers really work! Let me tell you what happened when I was a kid…" Sora gaped at him as he told the story.

"Wow, really? What was it?" Sora asked when he was done and Axel shrugged.

"We never found out. None of the new charms burned so we think it went away to find something easier, but no one else in the village disappeared." Axel didn't mention the one child that had sickened and died. There was no proof that was related although his mother had been able to find no cause for the illness. There had been no more deaths after that.

"Wow! We don't have anything cool like that on the Destiny Islands." Axel rolled his eyes at that. Cool?

"Sora, you're such an airhead." He was tempted to call him a spoiled rich airhead, but he remembered several of the village children had been talking about hunting down the 'monster' enthusiastically. So lack of sense wasn't just a rich thing. Riku confirmed that a moment later.

"He's right Sora. Something that would burn charms like that is dangerous. We should be glad we don't have any monsters like that on the islands anymore or your parents would be hiring wizards to ward the house." Riku said tartly as Sora pouted. Axel nodded.

"Yeah, that's what rich people do in most places I've lived. You're really lucky you don't need them." Axel finished the little cat and carefully checked the runes. If any of them weren't drawn properly the cat wouldn't function. "There. One little anti-restless dead charm ready to go! Now, you can also string these up. Just remember not to deface any runes, if you damage those it's useless." Axel showed how to string up the little charms and Sora admired them as Riku shut off the camcorder.

"So nice! Riku, do you want a few?" Sora asked his friend and Riku hesitated before picking up the cat.

"Can I have this one?" The story about the cats burning had affected him a little. "I think I'll give it to Namine." That was Riku's sister and he loved her dearly. The thought of her having the protective charm was cheering. Axel nodded with a smile.

"Sure." Axel picked up a paper. "Let me make another for Sora to show to the class." That was the only charm he'd ever gotten a graphic demonstration from and it was a good story. Axel wanted the class to see it.

He didn't expect they would see it burn though. That would just be too much.

* * *

_I'm sorry I can't come Axel. I forgot I'd promised Olette to take her to a movie._ Roxas said apologetically and Axel growled. Sora's parents had gotten both of them their own datapads, not caring at all about the expense.

"Geez Roxas! Your parents don't deserve this. This is a really nice place they have reservations for!" Axel was a bit nervous about that but Sora had been so excited when Kyle and Zabel had suggested they go to Picasso for Axel's birthday. Apparently it was one of the best restaurants in the city, with chefs that were at the cutting edge of molecular gastronomy. Axel wasn't sure exactly what that meant but it sounded cool and Sora had mentioned things like a deconstructed BLT and frozen flowers that tasted like apricots. "And it's my birthday ya know!"

_I know. I'll make it up to you next week, okay? I'll take you to a Tao place. Just the two of us._ Axel couldn't help but cheer up at that. Roxas knew his weakness for Tao food and he loved spending time alone with the blonde. They hadn't been spending much time together lately.

"Oh, okay, but you better not make excuses next time! Later Roxy, have fun with your girlfriend." Axel grinned as Roxas replied, flustered.

_She's not my girlfriend! Pence and Hayner will both be there, you ass._ Axel was tempted to ask why Roxas had said he was taking Olette then, but just hang up with a grin. He had to get ready for the restaurant. Speaking of which…

"Hey, Mom? Dad?" Axel had taken to calling them that since Sora did. It didn't really feel that strange. In the village, the kids called almost all parents mom and dad. Which could be a little confusing sometimes but there you go. "Hate to tell you so late but Roxas says he can't make it. He forgot he was taking Olette to the movies." Zabel frowned, beginning to look annoyed but Kyle shrugged tolerantly.

"Ah well. He's right at the age to be noticing girls." Zabel shot him a look and he quickly added. "But I'll discuss it with him. He should have given us more notice." Axel blinked and bit his lip. He'd been joking when he called Olette a girlfriend. Did Kyle think she actually might be?

That thought disturbed Axel on many levels. He'd had a crush on his younger brother for longer than he could remember and he'd been sure Roxas returned it. What if he didn't?

"Don't worry about it." Axel muttered to himself as the family got ready. He admired himself briefly in a mirror. He was wearing black dress slacks and a very nice red dress shirt that matched his hair perfectly. Kyle was wrong, Roxas was just having fun with his new friends. It was natural that he'd want to spend time with them. He'd known Axel all his life, he wasn't new and shiny like Roxas' friends here.

Maybe he'd mention it when they went for Tao food next week. But for now, Axel was going to enjoy himself. Sora tugged on his arm and Axel looked down, smiling as he met shining blue eyes.

"C'mon Axel, the car is waiting!" Sora dashed out and Axel followed him with a laugh. Sora was just too cute.

He was sure he was going to have a good time. Roxas didn't know what he was missing.


	4. Thoughtlessness and Tricks

_Hello Axel,_

_This is your father. Your mother will be writing a separate letter as soon as she gets done with a colicking baby. You're quite wrong you know. The postal service has been upgraded to a guy on a jeep. I can hear you now… "What happened to the horse?" It's helping deliver milk for a living. The postal man is optimistic that he'll have many good years ahead of him. I'm glad to hear my teaching has served you well in your new school._

_The villagers are quite alright but there's been an earthquake warning for the area. That shouldn't affect us much, this is stable ground, but Baraba is on the fault line. We'll have to see what happens but if the worst comes to pass we'll both have to leave the village to tend to the victims. Hopefully the earthquake will only be minor. The seismologists swear that one must be coming but they can't fully predict the strength._

_Reno is being his usual self, but hormones are hitting him especially hard this year. Your mother has had to give him extra chores. I wish we could have sent him with Roxas rather than you, but that would have been cruel to everyone. Oh well, we must endure._

_Write back whenever you want son, and we'll reply when we can._

_-Your father, Raphael_

* * *

_Axel hunny!_

_How is Roxas doing? Tell him to write! We haven't gotten a letter from him yet but it might just be in the mail. You never know out here._

_I'm glad to hear you're enjoying everything out there. It's a shame they've split you up but I'm glad you're all making friends. How are things going with Sora? He seemed like a very nice boy. Naturally I hope you'll both come back but I do hope Roxas likes his twin. It would be very sad if they don't get along after all this time._

_What was I… Oh yes. Raphael told you about the earthquake warning. Well, Mrs. Falli says that the pattern of swallows clearly indicates it's going to be a bad one. Now, I don't necessarily believe what swallows say but your protection against the earth talismans aren't looking too good. No, they haven't burned but they're all faded and worn. So I don't think it's looking too good. Raphael says it's all silly omens but he already has his suitcase packed. Just in case._

_Other than that there's been several baby goats born lately, as well as a litter of kittens. They're all very cute although I do wish I could convince the owners of the cat to spay her. So many kittens. But I suppose there are always barns for them. Oh, and Mr and Mrs Laan lost their old milk cow. She caught an infection after my operation._

_Please keep writing to us. We all miss you very much Axel. And tell Roxas to write if he hasn't._

_-Love,_

_Mom_

* * *

_Hey punk,_

_Tell Roxas to write, yo! Mom isn't going to say it but she's a bit upset ya know. They're trying not to act like it's, ya know, a popularity contest but they're worried he'll want to stay with his new family. I mean, they have a pool. Dad says if they raised Roxas right he won't be bribed by a pool but ma still worries. So get the spiky haired brat to write, yo!_

_Um, yeah, earthquake warning blah blah blah. I'm told that if the shit hit's the fan I'm gonna be going too as muscle. You know, "Reno, hold this. Reno, dig here. Reno, beat up that looter." Well, I wish on the last one but you get the drift. What fun. And your fucked up Tao charms seem to think it's real. If we put them everywhere in Baraba will the city be spared? Yeah, I don't think so either. Fucking useless charms. But I guess they're mostly warnings._

_What was I thinking? Oh yeah. Felicity is looking really hot. She got this sah-wheeet little sundress that makes her tits look like sweet little melons I just wanna - uh, yeah. Yeah. If I weren't going to Uni I'd be on my knee with a ring. That girl is so hot and nice I think I'm in love. Do you think I'm in love? No? Oh blow me Ax. Say, aren't you noticing the girls yet? Any hot chicks at your new school? Write me back with full descriptions. I want melons. Oh, and tell Roxas to write. He can tell me about the hot chicks in his class too if he wants. Although they'd only be thirteen? Eh, fuck that, I'm not pedobear. Later red._

_-Reno_

* * *

Axel waited patiently for Roxas to show up, twirling his chopsticks idly.

He was at the Lucky Charm Inn, a Tao restaurant close to the school. Roxas had asked him to meet him there after school. But it was almost an hour now and the blonde hadn't shown up.

"What the hell Roxas?" Axel had already finished off a plate of appetizers, reasoning that Roxas could just order the main course when he finally got there. But where was he? Fishing out his datapad Axel placed a call. He'd already tried calling but it had just rung with no answer.

Axel grimaced and hung up after the twelfth ring. Instead he dialed home. Maybe Zabel and Kyle would know where Roxas had gotten to. And if not, they needed to know that he seemed to have gone missing. Not that Axel thought there was really any kind of problem.

_Hello Axel!_ Zabel's cheerful voice answered and Axel smiled. He was still getting used to this caller ID thing.

"Hi mom. Hey, do you know where Roxas is?" Axel asked.

_Why yes. He said he was going to a party with Hayner, Olette and Pence. Why?_ Axel blinked at that reply and hesitated. Had he gotten the dates wrong? But no, he was sure they were supposed to be meeting today.

"Really. Uh, so when did he tell you he was doing that?"

_Right before he left school. Is there something wrong? _Zabel sounded worried now and Axel drew a deep breath before manufacturing a smile.

"No, it's all good. Thanks mom, I'll be home in an hour or so." Turning off the datapad Axel flipped through the menu before picking out a dish almost at random. He was still hungry and wasn't going to let Roxas being a _complete asshole_ get in the way of a good time.

But he sure as hell wasn't going to forgive or forget.

* * *

Roxas stayed overnight at Hayner's house along with the others. Pence had found a stash of his parents' alcohol and brought it with him, so they were all a little inebriated come nightfall. Roxas was sure he could have gotten home safely, he actually wasn't a total stranger to alcohol, but he'd been outvoted. He went to their bus stop and got on board well before Axel and Sora.

So Roxas only realized there was a problem when Axel paused by his seat with a vicious smile and leaned down to speak in his ear.

"Asshole." His voice was very clear and Roxas stared at him, utterly shocked as Axel straightened and swept past, every line of his body expressing his anger. Sora didn't look at him either and Roxas could tell his twin was ticked. What had happened?

"Wow, that was rude." Olette remarked and Pence agreed. Roxas blinked and stared forward as a horrified realization settled over him. "Roxas?"

"Oh god I forgot!" Roxas slapped a hand over his eyes as his friends stared at him. "How could I have been so thoughtless?" It was bad enough that he'd bailed on Axel's birthday but completely forgetting he'd set up a meeting for supper with him was inexcusable. "I was supposed to meet him after school yesterday!" Roxas was glumly certain that his new parents were going to rip a strip off him, if Axel had told them about this. He'd certainly told Sora. "I wonder how long he was waiting?" He felt terrible. He'd have to do something major to make up with Axel.

What he didn't realize was that his brother had other plans.

* * *

"Hey Larx, can you help me with something?" Axel sat behind the blonde girl, who was using her unbelievably expensive bag as a very effective way to keep people from sitting beside her. She glanced over her shoulder at him as she carefully filed her nails.

"Maybe. What do you need?" She wasn't going to make any promises until she heard what was going through Axel's pea sized brain. Sora was sitting beside Riku but he was listening in.

"Well, see, my brother and I used to be really close." Axel waggled his eyebrows at her, hoping she would understand what he meant. She looked disgusted. "Hey, he's adopted! Anyway. Ever since we came here, he's been ignoring me in favor of his new buddies. He stood me up last night. So I'm thinking I want to try to make him jealous."

"Oh?" That was sophomoric, stupid and promised to be full of interesting drama. Larxene didn't bother to point out the stupidity. Drama was entertaining. "So where do I come in?" Axel grinned.

"Well! I was hoping you'd agree to make out with me. Sora could make sure Roxas sees us." Axel explained and Larxene nodded as Sora hesitated, then suddenly spoke.

"I – I could make out with you Axel." He offered shyly and Axel glanced over, shocked. He caught the look on Riku's face before the silver haired boy looked down.

"That would be really dumb Sora." Axel said easily as Sora blushed. "For starters, Roxas is your brother. Do you want to hurt him like that?" Axel knew Sora had a bit of a crush on him but it just wouldn't be right to act on, not while his feelings about Roxas were so firm. And hopefully Roxas felt the same way even if he was being a thoughtless twat at the moment. "Not to mention hurting Riku." Sora looked surprised and glanced at his friend, catching the stiff look on his face.

"Oh… Riku, I'm sorry." Axel lost track of their murmured conversation as he turned back to Larxene. Hopefully they would work that out, he was sure Riku had very serious feelings for Sora. The blonde girl was looking amused by the whole thing.

"It's like a gay soap opera. What do I get out of this?" She immediately went to the main point and Axel frowned. He hadn't thought about that.

"What do you want?" Money obviously wasn't it. She was rich. Larxene tapped a long, manicured finger against her bottom lip for a long moment.

"You can get me sandwiches from the deli for a week." She decided and Axel nodded. That would mean a lot of running for him if he wanted to eat his own lunch, the deli wasn't that close to the school. But it was a fair price. "So how will we do this?" Axel grinned as he laid out his plan.

It would serve Roxas right.

* * *

A few days later.

"Where is Axel?" Roxas asked Sora who smiled innocently, his blue eyes bright and cheerful. He was enjoying his part in Axel's plan now.

"He said he'd meet us by the North parking lot." They'd plotted this all out carefully and Sora casually entered a text into his datapad, giving Axel and Larxene the signal they'd been waiting for. "C'mon, let's go this way." Sora tossed his backpack over his shoulder and started walking. Roxas thought he was joining Axel and Sora at the Inn to make up for what he'd done. And they would do that… after Axel made his play.

There was a muffled moan and Sora paused as if he was surprised, peeking into a classroom and squeaking before he stepped back. Roxas blinked, confused and looked over his shoulder to see –

"…!" Roxas swayed, feeling a little faint as he saw Axel with that blonde girl in his arms, kissing her like he meant it. What was his brother _doing?_ Was he frenching her? Sora dragged him away before Axel could notice them. "But… what… he…" Roxas felt like his brain had just fried. He and Axel had been close for so long. When Axel came out to the parking lot, looking a little shamefaced but pleased, Roxas didn't know what to say.

Through the meal Roxas didn't say much, just silently seething as Sora and Axel joked and played with the chopsticks as they ate. He noticed how Sora almost seemed to be flirting with his brother. Why hadn't he noticed that before? Because he'd just taken Axel's love for granted and that certainty had been shaken. Roxas pushed his food around on his plate, surreptitiously glaring at Axel. As soon as he got home he was going to have it out with him!

"Hey Roxas, what's wrong? You're awful quiet." Axel playfully ruffled his hair then looked hurt as Roxas jerked away. "Roxas?"

"Nothing." Roxas muttered and Axel hid a smile. It looked like Roxy was jealous! So he did care. Axel shrugged and went back to his food. Before too long they were all walking home, although again it was mostly Axel and Sora talking while Roxas followed behind them, a silent shadow. Once they were home Roxas took the first opportunity he could to corner Axel in his bedroom.

"How could you?" Axel just looked at him, as if he was surprised. Roxas found himself yelling at the redhead. "How could you do that with her?!? I thought we were… I thought we had…" Tears welled up in his eyes, tears of hurt. He'd thought they were together. It wasn't something stated, just the way they felt. How could Axel just turn away? Anger suddenly tightened Axel's face and he spoke heatedly.

"I thought so too! But then we got here and you ditched me for your new friends! You have Olette, why shouldn't I go on and find someone for me?" Axel couldn't keep the jealousy out of his voice and didn't try. Roxas should know how he'd been hurting. Roxas blinked.

"Axel, I'm not dating Olette!" Although Roxas was guiltily aware that it could certainly have looked that way from Axel's perspective. He'd been spending a lot of time with his new friends, a lot more than he'd been spending with Axel and Sora. Axel crossed his arms and glared.

"Oh yeah? Then why'd you ditch me then stand me up, huh? And no, I haven't forgiven you!" Axel snapped as Roxas opened his mouth to protest. "Roxas, I love you more than anything but I'm not going to let you treat me like shit!"

"…" Roxas suddenly hugged him, making Axel stiffen before he tentatively hugged his brother back. "I'm sorry." Roxas said, his voice muffled by the fabric of Axel's shirt. "Please forgive me? I won't ignore you again." Maybe he could take Axel with him… or he could just stop spending so much time with his friends. That might be better. Sora needed his time too and Axel was always with his brother. Axel's arms went around him and the redhead spoke in his ear.

"I forgive you. But if you ignore me again I'm going to kick your ass." Roxas giggled weakly but Axel meant every word. "Don't worry about Larxene, we weren't serious." At all. Larxene would probably demand a full recount of exactly what had happened tomorrow.

They were both oblivious to Sora watching them from the doorway, pleased but a little sad.


End file.
